Fitness is Fun!
June 2005

ACSM Announces Partnership with President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS) have announced the intent to collaborate as science partners to benefit public health by jointly promoting physical activity, fitness and sports, according to an announcement made at the 52nd annual ACSM meeting, held in Nashville. This partnership will allow the two organizations to work together through conferences, journal articles, and position statements. Among the first items ACSM and PCPFS will address is the need for coordinators for PCPFS State Demonstration Centers. For the complete press release, please visit http://www.presidentschallenge.org/misc/news_research/announcements/pcpfs_release.doc.

Action on Obesity Summit 2005
The Mayo Clinic convened the Action on Obesity Summit 2005 on June 9-10. This year's meeting brought together international, national, state, and local experts in physical activity, nutrition and health to discuss strategies and establish goals to combat the obesity epidemic. Among the organizations represented at the summit were the Mayo Clinic, the President's Challenge, the American Heart Association and Sesame Street.

Both days of the summit included designated time for presentations and collaboration of participants in round table discussions. Experts in attendance established work groups focused on fighting the obesity epidemic through worksite, community, and school efforts, as well as through national, state, and local marketing campaigns. A summary of the Action on Obesity Summit 2005 will be available on their Web site, http://www.actiononobesity.org, in the near future.

North Carolina mandates daily physical activity in K-8
Children in all North Carolina K-8 schools will have at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous daily physical activity by the start of the 2006 school year, and taking away recess and exercise may no longer be used as a form of punishment. These revisions to the Healthy Active Children's Policy were voted on in April by the North Carolina State Board of Education. Lt. Governor Beverly Perdue had this to say about the reason for the changes: "Research shows there is a direct link between the health of a child and their academic success, and today we as a Board have shown our commitment to the development of the whole child." To read more visit http://www.dhhs.state.nc.us/pressrel/4-7-05.htm.

Healthier Sesame Street
Sesame Street's Cookie Monster has never been known as a healthy role model, but producers are trying to change that. Now in its 36th season, Sesame Street is incorporating health information for young viewers, promoting the benefits of healthy eating, rest, and exercise. These efforts are a result of the initiative "Healthy Habits for Life" and are Sesame Workshop's attempt to address childhood obesity. All of the show's characters are involved, even Cookie Monster, who is known for polishing off plates of cookies. Other changes in the show include introducing each episode with a "Healthy Moment," a health tip offered by well-known figures, and new storylines such as "American Fruitstand" and "The Healthy Foods Name Game." For more information, read the press release at http://www.sesameworkshop.org/aboutus/inside_press.php?contentId=13603587 and a related article at http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/04/08/entertainment/main686690.shtml

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User Spotlight
For the past 34 years, P.E. teacher Vicki has been proactive in teaching her students how fun and beneficial physical activity is. Currently teaching at Alta Loma Junior High School, Vicki's P.E. classes have earned President's Challenge State Champion honors four out of the past five years, and she has also been instrumental in starting the Walk Across America program in her school. Read on to find out how Vicki combines the President's Challenge with her own enthusiasm to teach kids the benefits of being active.

How did you first hear about the President’s Challenge?
I heard about the President’s Challenge at a conference. I decided to try it on my elementary school kids during the 1987-88 school year as I was working towards my Master’s Degree. My master’s thesis investigated how an organized Physical Education program could improve elementary students’ fitness scores and, in turn, determine if better physical fitness improved academic testing scores. I found that physically fit kids do better on all other academic subjects and receive higher scores on state tests.

Why do you continue to use the program?
We use the program because the kids look forward to beating the previous year’s scores. We only have 7th and 8th graders, so the 7th graders always try to beat the 8th graders. Students who have had older brothers and sisters come through the program always want to know when we’re doing the fitness test because they want to do better than their older siblings.

What do you do to prepare your students for the fitness testing?
We do three practice tests, one each trimester, to get ready and show the kids all the stations they will be tested at. The kids each keep a scorecard, and try to beat their previous scores. We also run two miles every Friday, and run the mile once a month. We include push-ups and sit-ups along with our daily exercise routine. We encourage the kids to do 10 push-ups and 10-sit-ups during every commercial while watching T.V. each night.

What has been your experience with State Champions?
Our school is extremely proud of our four-time State Championships and the local newspapers have written several positive articles about our efforts and awards. Parents, administrators, teachers and students are all very proud as well. When school starts in the fall, a lot of my new students want to know if we are doing the President’s Challenge. It is now a big part of our school curriculum. Our District Superintendent and assistant superintendents always stop by during fitness week and commend us on a great job. Parents start calling when school starts to help with the testing. The entire school and district get involved.

What is Walk Across America and how successful has it been for your school?
The goal of the program is to see which class can walk across the United States (in steps), from Alta Loma, CA, to Washington D.C. first. We received two grants which allowed us to purchase pedometers for five classes and I made log charts so each student could log their own steps each day. The program got a lot of kids out of the house and walking so their class could win the contest. We also walked on Tuesdays at school, in addition to our regular Friday Run Day. Students, teachers, and parents also stayed after school and walked with our 10,000 Step Club, a club of teachers and students who walk together after school for an hour a few days a week.

What would you recommend to other teachers who are attempting to instill the value of lifelong physical activity in their students?
With the growing rate of obesity in young people, I suggest we start teaching lifetime activities as early as kindergarten, even if it is just walking with your class. Elementary students look up to their teachers and if walking is important to the teacher, then students will want to do it. Enthusiasm is also very important. Physical education teachers have to be enthusiastic and make P.E. fun. Not every student is athletic, but every student can benefit from lifetime fitness. Make the program fun and something the kids look forward to every day.

Do you think the President’s Challenge helps achieve these goals?
Absolutely. The President’s Challenge is fun. The goals are set. It is up to teachers to make the program fun and successful for their schools.

Summer Activity Ideas
The summer months are here and the warmer temperatures make it easy to start, and continue, an exercise routine. Let the President’s Challenge help you to achieve your fitness goals during the summer by registering for the Presidential Active Lifestyle or Presidential Champions program (see below). You can earn awards just by getting outside and being active! Here are a few ideas on how to earn your awards:

• Keep a soccer ball, football, golf clubs, running shoes, etc. in the car - you may have some unexpected free time to squeeze in some exercise
• Walk or ride a bike to nearby destinations
• Monitor the amount of time you and your children watch T.V. or sit at a computer
• Explore your city by foot - follow a historic trail or see landmarks that you haven’t had a chance to check out yet
• Check out local clubs and parks and recreation departments for sports leagues and other outdoor activities

Program Spotlight
Summer is the perfect time to take the President's Challenge! Are you already active more than 30 minutes per day, five days per week? Are you looking for some extra motivation to keep you going? If so, the Presidential Champions Program is for you! Register online at http://www.presidentschallenge.org/ and log your activities to earn points towards awards. You can log activities ranging from baseball and basketball to hang gliding and home repair. The goal is to see how many points you can earn by being active. Points are based on activity intensity and duration, so the more active you are, the more points you get. The Advanced Performance option is for individuals who are training at high levels and would generally log more than 750 points per day, which is the point cap for the Champions program. The only thing left to do is log on, sign up, and get moving!